It has long been conventional practice to fabricate shower and tub enclosures by hand, using ceramic tiles to form the floor and walls of the enclosure. Such enclosures are expensive, and they are difficult to clean. In an effort to avoid these disadvantages, the ceramic tile enclosures largely have been supplanted by prefabricated enclosures which are made from fiberglass, or molded from acrylic or similar plastic materials. While these enclosures have the advantage of being less expensive and easier to clean, they are bulky, which renders them difficult to transport and deliver to the point of installation. This problem is particularly severe where older homes are being remodeled, since the bulky enclosure often will not fit through the existing doorways. Also, such prior prefabricated enclosures are difficult to mount rigidly to the supporting structure of the building in which the enclosure is installed.
Prior attempts have been made to manufacture such bathing cabinets from several components, note for example the U.S. Pat. No. 3,149,347 to Embroden. However, it is not believed that any of these prior designs have met with significant commercial success, primarily because the components could not be interconnected in a manner to provide the desired degree of rigidity and strength.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a modular bathing cabinet of the described type and which may be transported in a disassembled condition and assembled at the location of final installation and use, and which provides a high degree of rigidity and strength when assembled.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a modular bathing cabinet of the described type which is easy to assemble at the location of final assembly, and which is pleasing in appearance.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a modular bathing cabinet wherein the sectional components of the cabinet include provision for rigidly attaching the components directly to the interior wall studs of the building.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a modular bathing cabinet of the described type which is adapted for use in fabricating either a shower stall or a bathing tub.